as a parent of a teenage son, I really feel for the kid. Based on his talents and ability, this should be the best time of his life. Instead, the process has blown up in his face, and he's turned into a national joke.

We've never seen the kid play. It didn't hurt Ben Roerthlisberger by attending Miami of Ohio now did it?

Different scenario entirely. Ben wasn't the jewel of his recruiting class, never courted attention on where he would go, and didn't transfer from a bigger school to Miami after one year. Kiel was/did all those things.